Journey of a King: Book 1
by King Cephirus
Summary: When a mysterious mutant with a secret past joins the X-men, Magneto stops at nothing to convert him to the Acolytes. Meanwhile, unseen forces work against the X-men, and their new recruit seems to be at its center. Contains OC. Rated M for violence, and language.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first story that I have published to the general public, so please review or comment. I'd love to hear what you think. I know it's only a prologue, but please trust me; I have the first chapter on the way! This story does also include a few OCs of mine, so there will be a few names you may not recognize (including a main character in the story). Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Marvel Comics or its characters. I take no credit for its ownership or creation.**

**EDIT: Changed a few things here and there. The story is...taking much longer than I had hoped...  
**

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Journey of a King: Book 1: Alien

Prologue

November 14, 1999

As I lay within the cargo hold of this ship as it rocks up and down on the waves, I examine my fellow passengers. They are refugees, doing their best to get comfortable until we reach our destination. Although we are all mutants, bound for the same location, I fear many of the similarities end there. Whilst many here simply wish for a better life within the so-called 'mutant haven' that we are headed to, I am here for a far more sinister purpose. This is a mere part of my journey to take back what is mine from they who stole it from me, and I plan to see it through to the end, whether I succeed or meet my death in the attempt.

But I get ahead of myself. My name is Michael Malcom, or at least that is the name I have taken. I am what many on this planet call a mutant. If you are unfamiliar with the term, allow me to elucidate.

The genetic code within every sentient being in the galaxy (humans included) consists of four specific gene codes: G-C, A-T, C-G, and T-A. Each letter represents a protein found within your very DNA, and it uses these four codes in a very specific way to create everything about you. Your height, the shape of your ears, your voice, the length of your arms, everything. It's all determined this way. Mutants are no different, save for one small exception: while non-mutants have four gene codes, mutants have five.

It is known simply as the 'X gene', and it is why we are all here now, bound for Asteroid M. The X gene causes mutations within the gene code that causes one to develop interesting powers. The powers one gains depends on the gene code in question. One man becomes a pyrokinetic, with the ability to create and control fire. Another, perhaps even his brother, becomes ethereal, able to phase through solid objects and fly. Mutants gain powers that humans can only dream of.

Unfortunately, however, this power comes with a price. En masse, humans are…distrustful of unfamiliarity, and have a tendency to hate out of fear. When mutants began to make headlines, many called them out as freaks of nature. Even certain high-ranking UN senators began to formulate plans to have us all imprisoned, 'to protect humanity from the mutant menace', if I am to quote them. Mutant menace, indeed. A few of these mutants around me are children, not even fully grown. They need an education to hone and control their abilities, not a pair of handcuffs and a jail cell. It seems, however, that most of the United Nation believes otherwise.

That's why they're all here. That's why these refugees are huddling within the bowels of a cargo ship, waiting and praying for a fast journey. To escape the torment that humans have placed upon them, that they might live in the relative peace and comfort that they desperately desire. Our destination is Asteroid M, an enormous space station currently in orbit above planet Earth. A perfect society for mutants, if one is to believe the stories. Although we cannot reach it from a mere sea ship, there is an island off the southern coast of Africa which is used to transport mutants from the surface of the planet onto Asteroid M.

Asteroid M is led by its creator, one of the most powerful mutants of our time. He is known as Magneto, and is mutant ability allows him to generate and control all magnetic fields around him. Metal, and anything else that responds to magnetism, are subject to his will, and in a world that includes metal within almost everything it builds, this makes him nigh to unstoppable.

Unfortunately, I have considered him an enemy in the past. He once tried to recruit me, to make me see that humans were an outdated and retched species that evolution has now found lacking. I didn't believe him, and in truth I still do not now. He has tried multiple times to begin wars with human kind, believing (somehow) that war is the only solution to mutant survival. But to attack innocent people and subjugate them, perhaps even kill them, is downright monstrous. I know this all to well. An innocent bears innocent blood, no matter whom they are or even what color it is. And I vowed to _never _shed innocent blood.

Not again, anyway.

Besides, many mutants do not wish to fight in a war. Many are just civilians, simply wishing to live in peace as most do. The passengers that sit among the cargo crates around me are proof of that. And there are those that will fight to prevent a human/mutant war from ever occurring. I joined such a team once. They are known as the X-men.

The X-men are led by Professor Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful telepath. It is his dream to see mutants and humans accept one another for who they are, and live amongst one another in peace. It is a very large dream, especially nowadays, and one that will not be easy to achieve, but their cause is just, unlike Magneto, and I share their dreams of a peaceful world.

So why did I leave, you ask? Why did I abandon the X-men to join Magneto, if I still do not share his views? And who am I, anyway? Who is Michael Malcom, and what makes him so important to this story? If you have the time to spare, then by all means read on, and you shall have the answers you seek. Allow me to tell you, through my writings, how I turned from an alien Emperor, to an X-man, to exile, to one of Magneto's Acolytes, and hopefully, into an alien Emperor again…

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**And there it is. The prologue. If you're wondering about the wording, it's designed to make Michael out as someone who likes to over-explain things, and use complex words. A high-society kind of guy, you know? Like I said above, please comment and review. I'll have the next chapter up soon. Until I write again!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, guys. First, I must apologize for taking so long with these. It took a lot longer than I thought, and I admit I did a some slacking, so I'm really sorry. Secondly, I decided to split this into two chapters because it stretched nearly fifteen pages long at first. And third, PLEASE read and review, I would love to hear your feed back. That said, on with the show!**

******Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Marvel Comics or its characters. I take no credit for its ownership or creation. Cephius, however, is actually mine.  
**

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Journey of a King: Book 1: Alien

Chapter 1

February 25, 1999

It was a bright, yet brisk afternoon in Bayville. The streets were alive with citizens going about their daily lives; shopping, working, or simply chatting to one another on the street. Two of these passersby were heading toward a cross walk a little ways away. One of them, a burly man with dark hair and large sideburns, gave the look of a rough character. He wore a navy blue shirt under his brown overcoat and held his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. His companion was a teenage girl who wore her hair in a long ponytail and sported a pink long sleeve blouse, with a pair of blue denims. She was flipping through the contents of a fashion magazine she had taken out of her bag, constantly talking as they walked. The man kept his head low, trying in vain to subtly drown out the girl's words in his own thoughts.

"So, I was thinking of getting this one, because it's totally in my price range, but I'm not so sure it would match with the rest of my wardrobe. What do you think, Logan?"

She tilted the magazine and held it up for Logan to see. Logan took a brief look at it before heaving a loud sigh. "No offense, Half-pint," he said, "but do I really look like the kind o' guy who would know something like that? If you really need another opinion, why not ask Jean or Rogue about it?"

Kitty Pryde, the girl Logan called 'half-pint', shrugged as she tilted the magazine back. "Well, yeah," she said, "but Jean is on a date with Scott right now, and Rogue is in another one of her moods. I don't have anyone else to talk to."

Logan shook his head as Kitty buried her face in the issue once more. This isn't what he had in mind when he wanted to go out for a breath of fresh air. As they reached the cross walk (Logan had to grab Kitty's shoulder to stop her from walking out into the street), they stopped to wait for the lights to change. As they waited, Logan looked over to his left. A tall figure, completely covered in a brown cloak, stood with its head somewhat bowed. The figure's face turned slightly in Logan's direction before moving back, obviously not intent on showing itself. As the lights changed and the "walk" sign appeared at the other end of the cross walk, a car pulled up and stopped at the intersection. As soon as the three tried to pass, however, the car suddenly surged forward and blocked the way, forcing them to stop in their tracks to avoid getting hit. "Hey!" exclaimed Kitty, angrily. The driver, a young woman who looked to be just a few years older than Kitty, had a shocked look on her face, as though the car had moved on its own.

"Ugh! How rude!" said Kitty, crossing her arms with the magazine still clutched in her hand. As the woman mouthed apologizes though the glass and changed gears, the cloaked figure looked over to its left. Meanwhile, the car's tires began to roll backwards, but the car itself wouldn't budge. "Great," said Kitty, "now she's having car trouble."

"I'm not sure it's the car that is the problem."

Kitty and Logan both looked over as a deep voice came out from under the figure's hood. As they watched, the figure lifted a hand from his cloak, revealing pale, curved claws at the ends of his fingers. He pointed to three cars across the street, which had lifted themselves off of the ground and began floating in midair, as though they had suddenly become lighter than feathers. Passersby gasped and moved away from the scene. Suddenly the cars threw themselves across the road, landing with a sickening crunch as they skidded towards Logan and the others. "Look out!" Logan cried, as the cars sped closer to where they stood. But before they could get out of the way, the cars came to a screeching halt around them; forming an almost perfect half–circle they surrounded the trio. Bystanders screamed. The woman in the car got out through the passenger side door and began running, disappearing in the crowd as people fled. Kitty, Logan, and the figure, however, were completely trapped within the circle of cars around them. Logan clenched his fists tightly, and with an audible _shink_, three long, sharp claws extended from each of his hands. The figure looked over at Logan, seemingly surprised, although with his face still covered by his hood it was hard to tell. Kitty shoved the magazine back into her bag as Logan began sniffing the air. "Logan?" Kitty said, nervously, "What is it?" A familiar scent had reached Logan nostrils. He lifted his head, continuing to smell with his enhanced senses, and finally bared his teeth as he recognized the scent.

"Magneto." He growled.

As if on a cue, Magneto, wearing a red helmet and clad in purple armor suddenly appeared, flying above the wrecked cars that he had just moved. He landed inside the "pen" right in front of his three captives, his cape billowing around him as his feet touched the ground. His helmet covered his face almost as much as the figure's hood, with his eyes being the only visible feature.

"Logan." Magneto said interestedly. "I am surprised to see you here. I see you and your companion have already met young Riftwalker." He gestured toward the figure in the cloak. Logan and Kitty both looked over at him as he lowered his head. "You know him?" whispered Kitty in a shocked voice. Logan growled under his breath. "My alias is Cephius," the figure told Magneto, heatedly, "and these two need not be involved. Their presence here is a mere happenstance."

As Kitty continued to stare at the figure, Logan stepped around him and brandished his claws. "Whadda ya want, Magneto?" he growled. Magneto raised his arm, causing Logan to suddenly lift off of the ground, unable to move. "Only to make Riftwalker here see reason," he answered. Logan struggled against Magneto's grip, but his control over the adamantium metal encasing Logan's bones was far too strong. Magneto thrust his palm forward, sending a completely paralyzed Logan slamming into a nearby wall. Kitty gasped and ran towards him, but just then a large silver–teal blur appeared, swiping Kitty off her feet and hooking her by her shirt on a sideways flagpole three stories above the ground. She struggled, but she found herself completely stuck. The figure, Cephius, looked up at Kitty in a mixture of shock and anger before slowly turning around to face Magneto. "Reason?" he repeated. "You call starting a panic in the streets by throwing cars around, then attacking bystanders simply because you know them a case of _reason_? This is madness! You are causing a scene for no legitimate purpose, other than to somehow convince me that _this–_"he gestured toward the destruction around him "–is how we should respond to human prejudice!"

Magneto held up his hand. "Riftwalker," Cephius shifted on the spot as Magneto glided towards him. "The humans are not giving us a choice. If we do not stand against them, they will enslave every mutant they can and destroy the rest! We who can fight back must stand now or fall to their oppression! Don't you see?" he placed a hand on Cephius's shoulder. "The humans hate our kind, Riftwalker! They fear us! They make machines designed to capture or even kill us! The Homo sapiens are weak and fearful creatures, and they will oppress any who are different from them!"

"And so we should just slaughter any human we come across!?" Cephius moved his arm, shoving Magneto's hand aside. "Sink to their level!? Most of them do not even understand us, Magneto! They don't understand what mutants truly are! And human instinct demands that that which they do not fully know can most likely kill them! That's how it's been since mankind were living in caves and building homes out of mammoth bones! The humans have a reason to fear us, Magneto. If either side is to survive, then we must remove that reason from them. We must educate them! Make them see that we are not a bunch of mindless animals! If we try to attack them, start a war with them, then we will only prove their assumptions! We will degrade ourselves into the very things that they claim we are: mindless, remorseless monsters!"

Cephius turned around, leaning low to the ground before leaping more than thirty feet into the air, landing on the wall right next to Kitty. He crept onto the flagpole she was hanging from with catlike agility as Magneto watched with narrowed eyes. Cephius took hold of Kitty, freeing her from the flagpole and holding her by her waist as he slid down the wall onto the ground. He landed on the pavement, releasing Kitty as soon as she had solid footing, and turned back towards Magneto. "I must thank you for your offer," he said, in a far less heated tone than before, "but I am afraid my answer is unchanged. I cannot join a cause that harms innocent people solely because they are human." Cephius turned towards Logan, who was still pinned to the wall, and moved to help him when Magneto gave a signal. The silver–teal blur that had grabbed Kitty before suddenly appeared, slamming into Cephius and causing him to fall backward. Before he hit the ground, however, Cephius twisted backwards, performing a handspring and landing on his feet as the blur stopped in front of him, giving everyone a chance to see him clearly.

"Hate to break it to you, Riftwalker, but Magneto doesn't take "no" for an answer."

The first thing Cephius noticed about the man standing before him was his sleek, silver-white hair. The second thing he noticed was the costume. It was mostly teal in color, with a silver chest plate and shoulder pads. He was wearing a large smirk on his face as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Quicksilver," warned Magneto, "I want him unharmed."

"Hey, no problem," said Quicksilver, "I'm just keeping him away from these X-men." He sneered as he spoke the last word. Cephius raised an eyebrow. "X-men?" But before he could say much more, the car to his right suddenly lifted from the ground and was tossed aside. A mutant with thick metallic skin approached, wearing a black and red suit with gold shoulder pads, and sporting a short, black, almost military-style haircut. Cephius immediately recognized him.

"Colossus."

Magneto nodded at Colossus in an unspoken order, and in response Colossus charged. Cephius leapt straight into the air, jumping clean over Colossus and landing behind his back, just before spinning around in a full 360 degree turn to dodge a blow by Quicksilver as he sprinted by. Colossus spun around and charged again, only to be stopped in his tracks as Cephius ducked under him, grabbing his chest and belt and lifting him above his head. After a few seconds of struggling, Colossus failed to break free from Cephius's grip, and was instead thrown clean over the ring of upturned cars that surrounded the battle. Quicksilver ran up again, and once more Cephius dodged, landing behind him much like he did with Colossus.

While Cephius was busy dealing with the two mutants, Kitty had begun to sneak toward Logan again. As she reached up to try phasing him free, however, she was stopped by a small, rectangular object that suddenly lodged itself on the wall near her hand: a playing card. It glowed a bright magenta for a few seconds before suddenly exploding in a shower of sparks. As Kitty threw her hands up in front of her face to shield herself, two large metal bars (controlled by Magneto) came flying into view and quickly wrapped themselves around Kitty's hands and feet, constricting her like a snake. She struggled with the bindings before taking a deep breath and phasing through them, letting them fall to the ground with a clang. As she did so, however, two more playing cards came spinning into view, landing in front of Kitty before exploding like firecrackers. She leapt back to avoid them and looked up to see a new mutant join the fray. Burning eyes of red–on–black looked directly into Kitty's, and she knew in an instant who this man was.

Gambit, wearing his usual cocky smirk and brown trench coat over a suit of purple and gray, smiled devilishly as he held up three more playing cards in his hand, a Bo staff clutched tightly in his other arm. "_Bonjour, cherie,_" he said "Y' gon' play wit' Gambit? Let 'im 'ave first deal…" He leapt into the air, throwing the cards as he did so, and Kitty had to duck as they flew over her head. Meanwhile, yet another mutant appeared, this time with his attention solely on Logan. Long, thick brown hair covered his face, which was bared in a vicious grin as he leapt down from one of the cars. Sharp teeth and even sharper claws could be seen as he walked forward, and Logan, still pinned to the wall of the building, began to growl ferociously. A flash of burning hatred swept through Logan's eyes as Sabretooth looked up at him, his teeth still bared in a smile. "Hey, runt," he said "Did ya miss me?"

"Not…at…all!" strained Logan, still trying in vain to break free of Magneto's control. Sabretooth merely chuckled, readying his clawed fingertips as he came closer. His smile dimmed as he approached, his face becoming more serious. "I've waited a loooonnnggg time for this, Logan…"

As Sabretooth drew closer to his rival, Cephius was wrestling with the newly recovered Colossus several yards away. As the two briefly broke of, Cephius spotted Sabretooth, and looked up to see Magneto floating several feet in the air. Noticing an opportunity, he ducked under Colossus and tackled his legs, grabbing them tightly with his hands. Once he was sure that Quicksilver was close enough, he swung Colossus around in a full–circle spin, catching Quicksilver in the torrent and sending him flying into one of the upturned cars. As Cephius completed his spin, he aimed his shot and used the gained momentum to throw Colossus, one-handed, straight at Magneto. Magneto was too busy with trying to trap Kitty and holding Logan to the wall to notice. By the time he saw the giant 'projectile' flying towards him, it was far too late. Colossus collided with him, sending both mutants careening out of the sky and onto the road, disappearing behind the wall of wrecked cars. Cephius grinned as he heard the loud crash that signified that they had hit asphalt – hard.

It was enough. Logan, now free from Magneto's grip, fell from the wall and onto the ground, rising to his feet as Sabretooth stopped in his tracks. "What'sa matter, bub?" Logan growled, raising his claws threateningly, "I thought ya wanted a reunion." Sabretooth growled furiously before belting out a huge roar, charging towards Logan at full speed. Logan responded in kind, and the two rivals collided in a flurry of teeth and claws.

Meanwhile, Gambit was still keeping Kitty occupied by throwing card after card at her, leaping from one spot to another as he did so. What he didn't realize was that with Magneto and Colossus stunned and Quicksilver seemingly unconscious, Cephius had now turned his attention to him. As Cephius landed beside Kitty, throwing out an arm to keep her behind him, he growled at Gambit from under his hood. "You fight an innocent woman whilst I am your true target?" he snarled at him, "Now that is just pissing me off."

As Gambit and Kitty watched, Cephius lowered his hands to reveal a length of rope keeping his cloak bound around his waist. He untied the simple knot at the front, and then moved his left arm up to a small chain around his neck, unhooking it. Meanwhile, Logan and Sabretooth broke off from one another, and in that brief pause of battle, both looked over at Cephius as he reached around, grabbing his cloak by the shoulder, and threw it off of him in one fluid stroke of his arm. The eyes of all three men widened. Kitty gasped.

Cephius was wearing a gray shirt under a heavy combat vest, with a matching pair of silver-colored slacks. The belt he wore contained at least five different satchels that lined his waist, and his wrists bore metal gauntlets with carved markings. The ensemble he wore gave him the look of an army soldier, but that wasn't nearly what was so shocking about his appearance.

The physical features Cephius had made him look like a cross between a one–man army battalion, and a ticked off Siberian tiger. The pupils of his eyes were oval slits, like a cat's, surrounded by an iris of chocolate-brown. His sclera – the white of his eyes – glowed not white, but instead a deep orange–amber. Two cat-like ears stuck out of his light brown hair, which was slightly ruffled from the cloak. His teeth resembled Sabretooth's: sharp, pointed and deadly, and his claws were all too apparent on his fingertips. But the most surprising and notable feature Cephius had (apart from his eyes) was his tail. Black and orange stripes covered it from base to tip, like a tiger's, and at the end of it was something no man or cat ever had: A spiked club, the size of a human head. It was shaped like an almond, with a round base and a pointed tip, and the spikes it bore covered every inch of its surface, all fixed to point towards the tip. They flexed out slightly, reflecting the sunlight, before moving again to rest on the club's surface. The combination of Cephius's body and his clothing made him look built – if not downright _bred_ – for combat.

As Cephius took a step towards Gambit, he pointed a finger at him before making a gesture with his hand. "Come, Gambit," he taunted "and let us see if the "Ragin' Cajun" can match the power of the King." With a sharp movement of his arms, thin, 3 foot long swords appeared out of his gauntlets. Gambit, who seemed to have recovered from his moment of surprise, smiled as he readied his Bo staff. "Well," he smirked "now '_dis_ look like a good challenge f' Gambit! Y' gamble, _mon frere_?" He flicked his wrist, sending five cards out of his sleeve and into his hand. Cephius watched as the cards began to glow a bright magenta before Gambit drew his arm in an arc, sending the cards flying straight towards his legs. Cephius jumped as the cards whizzed under him, sticking into the ground like shiruken before exploding behind him. As he landed, Gambit leapt forward, catching Cephius off guard and sweeping him off of his feet with a swipe of his staff. Cephius landed flat on his back as Gambit moved to strike again, but he was too quick. Before Gambit could land another blow, Cephius coiled his legs and aimed a powerful kick straight into his chest.

"AGH!"

Gambit let out a yell of pain as the blow hit its mark. He was sent flying backward, slamming into the wall before sliding down onto the ground. As he clambered to his knees and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand, he looked up to see that Cephius was already on his feet. "Apologies, Cajun," he taunted "but you've just placed a losing bet." Gambit gave out a dry laugh, concealing all but a hint of annoyance behind his smirk.

"'Den perhaps we play a new game, _non_?"

He jumped to his feet and readied his staff again, motioning to Cephius to come at him. Cephius obliged. As the two began to duel (Gambit's Bo staff against Cephius's swords), Logan and Sabretooth were still battling it out on the other side of the "arena". Kitty, meanwhile, was stuck in the middle, watching both battles unfold on either side of her. Suddenly she sensed someone behind her and wheeled around to see Colossus, who had apparently recovered from his collision with Magneto. He lunged forward, trying to grab Kitty with both arms, but Kitty phased through him, causing Colossus to tumble to the ground. His leapt back on his feet and snatched again, once more phasing through Kitty as though she was made of thin air. Colossus knew it was fruitless to try grabbing her, but he also knew it kept her distracted from helping Cephius, and if he and Sabretooth can just keep the X-men occupied long enough for Magneto to recover…

Colossus's idea worked. With all three mutants occupied by their adversaries, no one noticed as Magneto came into view, landing noiselessly on top of one of the cars. He looked at each battle one by one: Logan landing a punch straight to Sabertooth's chest; Kitty phasing Colossus halfway into the ground; Cephius, whom Magneto was truly focused on, slashing at Gambit's legs only to be blocked by his staff. Seeing the opportunity, Magneto lifted his hand and levitated a pair of metal bars that had been torn off from one of the vehicles, sending them flying towards Cephius with a thrust of his hand. Cephius only had time to see the bars flying straight towards him before they wrapped around his arms and legs, lifting him straight off of the ground and carrying him away. He yelled as the binds tightened, constricting him until he could no longer move. Logan heard his cry and looked up.

"Kid!"

Logan broke off from his fight with Sabretooth and sprinted towards Magneto, grabbing onto one of the cars and lifting himself up. But before he could get too close, Magneto raised his other arm, lifting Logan into the air and once again slamming him into the wall, paralyzed. "You should have learned by now, Logan:" called Magneto, "the adamantium covering your entire skeleton gives me complete control over you."

As Logan once again struggled against Magneto, Cephius could only watch as Gambit began to assist Colossus with Kitty, throwing card after card at her as Colossus kept swiping and grabbing. He could see Kitty beginning to tire, as well as see Sabretooth bearing down on Logan again. His mind raced. _Think, Cephius,_ he thought, _what weapons do you have that can stop them? What can you use to slow them down, or stun them?_And suddenly the answer came to him. With his chest straining against his bindings, he took in the deepest breath he could, feeling his vocal cords shift as muscles twitched within his throat. As soon as his lungs were filled to capacity, he closed his ears shut, opened his mouth wide, and let out a roar that was so loud he could have caused an earthquake.

"rrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Rrrrrr!

Glass shattered as the windows of nearby buildings and upturned cars gave way under the pulses of sound. Everyone, even Magneto, clutched their ears in pain as the sheer volume of the roar hit them. Most fell to the ground. As Magneto became too overwhelmed to concentrate, both Logan and Cephius were freed from his magnetic grip. Cephius landed flat on his feet as his roar subsided, and began tearing through the metal bonds. Logan fell to the ground and knelt on all fours, still dazed by the near deafening blast that Cephius had emitted. When he finally regained his awareness, Logan stood up to see Cephius bending over Kitty, offering his hand to help her up. Kitty took it and rose to her feet as Logan walked over to them, rubbing the back of his head as he approached. "Ugh…" he groaned, "nice trick, kid, but give us a little warning next time, would ya?"

"My apologies," Cephius replied, "But I couldn't warn you without warning them as well." He gestured toward Gambit and Colossus, who were still lying on the ground, apparently unconscious. From the look of it, Cephius had just knocked them out cold with a quick punch to each of their heads. "Right." said Logan, lowering his arm. "Well, not that I don't think ya can't fight, Catscratch, but you should book it while ya still got a chance. Ya may have stunned 'em, but the Acolytes don't give up that easy."

"It's Cephius, actually. Derived from the name of the Greek King of Aethiopia. But more to the point, I can't just leave this fight. What of the two of you?" Cephius gestured to Kitty before looking back at Logan. "You may know these men, but you are still innocents. I can't just leave you to fight them; like I said before, this fight need not be yours."

"Well, what about you?" asked Kitty, "You weren't doing anything wrong. Why are they after you?"

"Magneto tried to recruit me as an Acolyte, but I turned down his offer. Apparently he didn't take kindly to my refusal." Cephius looked over Logan's shoulder at Sabretooth, who was beginning to stir. "And speaking of such," he said more hurriedly, "we need to move. They're starting to recover."

"We'll take care of 'em." Logan said, "You get outta here."

"No! We barely held our own before. If I leave you to them, you'll be completely overtaken!"

Sabretooth was on his knees, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Even Magneto and Quicksilver were beginning to stir. "And aside from that, it's still me they're after." Cephius said, "Why endanger yourselves when you need not?"

"'Cuz anything Magneto's got cookin' up is worth stoppin'." Logan replied, his voice also becoming more rushed. "Now go! Kitty an' I 'll hold 'em off while ya run." He turned around and unsheathed his claws again as the Acolytes finally rose to their feet. Cephius grimaced. He would never live it down if these two got hurt because of him, but Logan was right: Running was his best chance to escape. Besides, they already proved themselves capable of holding their own in a fight. "I pray that you come out of this unscathed, my friends." Cephius said. "Both of you…" He turned around and leapt up onto one of the upturned cars before turning back to Logan, shouting, "…My conscience will never forgive me if you don't!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Just a quick note: I'm not entirely sure if the translation at the end on this chapter is entirely...coherent. I must apologize if it isn't, as Google Translator apparently has trouble with its...er, translating. Anywho, I've held you up long enough, so let's continue.**

**Don't forget to leave a Review!  
**

**********Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Marvel Comics or its characters. I take no credit for its ownership or creation. Cephius, however, is actually mine.**

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Journey of a King: Book 1: Alien

Chapter 2

As Cephius leapt off of the car and began to flee, Quicksilver and Sabretooth closed in on Kitty and Logan, both of whom were standing ready to fight. "Ya ready for round two, bub?" Logan growled at Sabretooth, who smiled menacingly as he approached. "Always am, runt," he replied, "always am." Meanwhile, Quicksilver was focusing on Kitty, a smirk once again playing across his face. "What's the problem, X-man? What are you helping Riftwalker for, huh? You two know each other?"

"We don't have to know him to help him get away from you, you creep!"

Quicksilver and Sabretooth began to surround the two X-men, readying themselves for a fight. Before they could throw a single punch however, Magneto suddenly landed behind them and held up his hand. "No!" he commanded, "Forget the X-men! We've come for Riftwalker, and he's getting away!" Quicksilver immediately broke off in response and sprinted up over the cars after Cephius, but Sabretooth paused for a moment before turning towards Logan. "Looks like we'll have to settle this some other time, runt." He growled.

Sabretooth leapt up and out of the "arena" of cars as Logan and Kitty gave chase. Kitty took Logan's arm and phased them both through the wrecked steel to see Sabretooth sprinting towards the other side of the intersection. There, Logan could see Cephius as Quicksilver sprinted circles around him, thwarting any attempt to escape with a sudden punch or kick to his body. With Cephius stuck and unable to run, Magneto saw him as an easy target. He lifted the pair of metal bars once more, flying towards where Cephius was trapped just as he looked up to notice him. Again, Cephius's mind raced. Magneto wouldn't let him get away with another sonic roar, he was sure of that. And with the mini-tornado Quicksilver was running around him, there would be no way he could dodge. There was no escape.

_But there is,_ he thought, _there is a way to escape. All that I need do is…_

No. Never again. Not with what that would bring him; what it had brought him before.

Cephius shook his head to get rid of the thought and looked up again to see Magneto grinning; he had noticed Cephius's hesitation, his restraint. "Come now, Riftwalker!" he called down to him, "You have gifts that could bend entire worlds to your feet! Why run from them?! Why hide them away?" Cephius's eyes flared red with fury at his words. "Because I will _not_ give you the satisfaction, Magneto!" he bellowed, "I will not release control! Not again! And certainly not for you!" His tail began swinging dangerously as he raged on before turning his attention to the swirling tornado around him. With a yell, he twisted his body around, flailing his tail like a mace, before slamming the spiked club straight into the "wall" of teal and gray that was Quicksilver.

_CRRRRRRRAAACCCKKK!_

The sound that split the air as Quicksilver was stopped in his tracks was the cracking of splintered bone. Logan and Kitty stopped dead as the sound echoed around them, and caught sight of Quicksilver bent over the club, which had scored a direct hit into his torso. The look on Quicksilver's face was of nothing but pure shock, but just before he fell to the ground as Cephius removed his tail, Logan caught sight of a stream of blood trickling out of his mouth.

As Quicksilver hit the ground with a whimper, all else stood silent before pain suddenly overtook him and he began screaming in horrific agony. The rage vanished from Cephius's face as he turned around to look at what he had just done, to be replaced by a look of shock and regret. Quicksilver's entire body was now covered in blood, his chest and stomach having seemingly collapsed from the tail club's blow. Cephius had crushed his entire ribcage in one fell swoop, if not half his internal organs as well.

"Pietro!" cried Magneto as he quickly landed nearby and ran over to where Quicksilver lay. Cephius, cursing himself for what he had done, wheeled around and sprinted off, leaving both mutants behind in his wake. Kitty held up a hand to her mouth as she gained full view of Quicksilver. Even if he was an enemy, it was still gut wrenching to see him; lying on the ground, yelling in agony, blood tricking out of his wounds. Magneto was bending over him, seemingly trying to do whatever he could to stop the blood flow. But before she could do or say anything to him (not that she knew what she was going to do), she heard Logan call out to her.

"Kitty! Come on!" Logan shouted. He had already begun to chase after Sabretooth, but had stopped and turned around when he noticed that Kitty wasn't behind him. Kitty took one last pained look at Quicksilver's face before hurrying after Logan, trying in vain to forget what she just saw.

It didn't take very long for Logan to catch up to Sabretooth, who had already managed to catch up to Cephius himself and was now trying in vain to subdue him. Cephius was obviously not an easy person to take down. Although Sabretooth had him in a hold, there wasn't much else he could do without risking him breaking free. As Logan ran forward to help, however, Sabretooth managed to reach over and grab hold of Cephius's leg.

A dull _CRACK _cut the air, and Cephius let out another deafening roar as he felt his leg break. Adrenaline surging through him, Cephius suddenly freed an arm from Sabretooth's grip, and with one great swipe cut a huge gash across Sabretooth's nose.

"HHHRRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

Sabretooth howled as he let go of Cephius and stumbled backward, his hand clutching his face as Cephius staggered around. As Sabretooth drew his hand away and his eyes blazed with fury, he suddenly spotted Logan charging towards him. "YOU'LL GET YOUR TURN, RUNT!" he bellowed, catching Logan and throwing him aside after a brief struggle. "First, I have to deal with your little pal here!" Cephius growled at Sabretooth as he drew towards him, cracking his neck and knuckles as he approached. He tried to put more weight on his leg to steady himself, but it was impossible. There was simply in too much pain. "What's this now?" Cephius gritted though bared teeth, "The mighty Sabretooth can't handle a little scratch? We both know you're a fast healer, boy." He was quite right of course. Even as Sabretooth approached, the gash across his face was fading away. It didn't do much to calm his mood, however. "Boy?" he repeated as he stopped right in front of Cephius. "Kid, I'm older than you're ever gonna be, and I think it's time you were taught a little respect."

He blocked another swipe from Cephius before grabbing him by the neck, lifting him into the air until his feet barley touched the ground. Cephius made a move to slash him for a third time, but Sabretooth stopped him, plunging his claws right into his shoulder and tearing downward. "YA LIKE HOW THAT FEELS, _BOY_!?" Sabretooth shouted over another blazing roar. "IT HURTS, DOSEN'T IT!?" Bloodied gashes dripped from Cephius's shoulder as Sabretooth drew his hand back, moving as though he was about to gut him, but just before he could plunge his claws into Cephius's body, a pair of thin metal bars suddenly appeared, winding themselves around his wrist and holding him back.

Kitty, who had finally caught up to the fight, was already helping Logan get back on his feet (not that he needed much help; his healing factor took care of any injuries he had), and as Logan rose and caught sight of Sabretooth's arm, he instinctively looked up to see Magneto, hovering several feet above the ground with his hand outstretched. As the metal bars lifted Sabretooth high into the air, he let go of Cephius, causing him to fall to the ground in a heap. Cephius let out a cry of pain as he rolled over onto his back, his left leg beginning to bleed due to its fracture. "Cephius!" Kitty cried, running over to him before Logan could stop her.

"Wait! Half–pint!"

Logan threw out his arm, afraid that Magneto would notice her, but he soon realized that he was far too preoccupied with restraining Sabretooth. Even from a distance, Logan could see the look on Magneto's face: He was completely livid.

"I told you I wanted him UNHARMED!" Magneto bellowed, the metal bars around Sabretooth's hand constricting as he clenched his fist. Sabretooth yowled in pain as the bars tightened, his other hand clawing and slashing at them, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Kitty knelt down over Cephius and began examining his wounds. They looked much more gruesome up close. "Whoa," she said "that is, like, _so_ much more blood then I wanted to see today." Cephius slowly turned his head in her direction and spoke, "Then…how much…did you _want _to see?" A ghost of a grin formed on his lips before he closed his eyes. His face was beginning to turn pale; he was quickly losing blood. Kitty reached for the scarf in her bag to try putting pressure on the wound – before remembering that she left her bag back at the intersection.

As she looked around frantically to see if there was anything she could use, she suddenly noticed a shadow looming up from behind her and turned to see Logan, bending down to grab Cephius by the arm before hoisting him up onto his shoulders. "C'mon." he said, rising to his feet. "While Magneto's busy. We gotta get 'im outta here." He ducked into a side alley, Kitty hurrying after him, and only stopped when they came to a large chain–link fence in their path. Kitty took hold of Logan's arm and phased them through it, and as they made their way through the winding streets and alleyways, Logan could hear the distant sounds of Magneto's furious raging. They had managed to lose him.

"Uh…Logan?" asked Kitty. Logan looked over at her as she spoke. "What do going to do?" she asked, "He's hurt. Like, really bad." Logan's eyes shifted upwards towards Cephius's face; his eyes were closed, his slow and ragged. "We need to get him to the Institute." Logan replied, his voice more gruff than usual. "Hopefully Hank can do somethin' for 'im."

"Ju…Judging…" Cephius suddenly spoke, his eyes still closed and his voice very strained and weak. Kitty looked up at him worriedly. "Cephius?"

"Judging…by the way you said that, Logan," he continued, "you…still did not wish to leave the fight."

"Yeah, well, I still have a score to settle with Sabretooth, but the Professor 'd never forgive me if I had just let ya bleed to death."

"Then…I owe the two of you my thanks. But…still…" Cephius suddenly fell silent, having seemingly lost his breath, and opened his eyes. From what Kitty could see, they seemed almost out of focus, but then again it was very hard to tell with eyes like that. "Careful." She said, "You're, you're losing a lot of blood."

"And the last thing we need is you dyin' on us." Logan said. "So, Catscratch, you gotta name? Aside from that "Ceephus" or, whatever…"

"Cephius." He corrected Logan. "But…to answer your question…I am know as Michael. Michael…Malcom…"

As Michael fell silent once again, Kitty and Logan found themselves in view of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, although judging by the amount of blood still trickling down Logan's shoulder, Kitty thought they still couldn't get there fast enough. Cephius was now looking very pale, and his breath was now very heavy and labored. They quickly made their way toward the gates at the front of the property, but just as they managed to reach it, they discovered that their path was blocked.

Colossus stood before them, a collection of objects clutched within one hand, and an unconscious Gambit slung over his other shoulder. Logan growled as soon as he saw him, but Kitty walked forward first. "Peter," she said boldly, "please, let us through. Michael needs to get to the Medbay, fast." Colossus took a few steps forward. "Kitty," he spoke, his Russian accent unmistakable, "I know he is injured. It was never the intention. As he already said, Magneto did not want him harmed."

"Little too late for that now, ain't it, bub?" Logan snarled. "Now get out of the way!" Colossus stood his ground. "No, I am sorry, Wolverine," he said, "but I cannot. Magneto will not let him set foot in your mansion, and I cannot disobey him."

Logan unsheathed his claws again and growled as Kitty protested, but just then Cephius raised his head and began to speak.

"Pi…Piotr…"

Everyone turned to face him as he lifted his head further, taking a deep breath as his eyes stared directly at Colossus.

"_Petr . Ya ... vypolnil svoyu chast' sdelki . Ya nashel vashu sem'yu ... v kayute ... pod Sankt-Peterburgom . Poisk po domu ... chto Pyro okhrannikov ... Vasha sem'ya budet tam._"

Colossus looked taken aback that Michael spoke his native tongue, but the shock on his face vanished as Michael continued.

"_I…vypolnil svoyu chast' sdelki, Petr. Teper', pozhaluysta...chtit' vash._"

Colossus's face returned to its usual serious expression. After a brief pause, he placed two of the three items that were held in his hand in front of him, before moving aside, allowing them to pass. Kitty could see her bag peeking out from behind the brown heap of cloth Colossus had left, which she quickly realized was Michael's cloak.

"_Spasiba_" Michael told Colossus, before lowering his head again to rest across Logan's shoulder.

"_Nyet, moy drug._" He finally replied."_Spasiba. Ya govoryu svoyey sem'ye, chto vy sdelali dlya nas. My budem vechno blagodarny._" And with that he turned away, Gambit still slung over his right side, Bo staff clutched in his left hand and walked away.

Kitty ran to a console on the wall just to the gate's left and placed her hand on it. After a few seconds, the console glowed green and spoke, "**ID recognition: Verified. Welcome, Katherine Pryde.**" The gates opened up and Logan hurried through it, Kitty following him before the gates closed behind them. "What was all that about?" Kitty asked. Logan just shook his head. "No idea. We can ask Catscratch once we patch him up." He looked up at Michael. He had seemingly passed out after his talk with Colossus, and was now looking paler than ever. The blood had finally stopped, but Logan still wasn't sure if he was going to make it. As they finally reached the front porch of the mansion, Kitty ran forward to open the door, only for someone on the other side to open it for her.

A large mutant covered in blue fur stood before them. His large teeth, sharp claws, and ape-like body gave him the look of a feral monster, but Kitty and Logan both knew that the truth couldn't have been more different. This was Henry McCoy, the very mutant they were hoping to see. "Kitty? Logan!" His eyes widened as he spotted Michael and closed the book in his hands shut. "Who…what has–?"

"Hey Hank." Logan said, his eyes looking back at Michael's face. "Prep the Medlab, would ya? We got a visitor…"


End file.
